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Botox Step By Step, Blog By Emily
We have a collection of our popular blogs posted below for you.
This collection will provide you with tips and ideas to help manage GP.
I wanted to do an article on Botox for Gastroparesis. But my GP Sister and good friend Emily did an article that is so great, I choose not to write one!. Her's addresses everything and is based on her experience. So you are getting the info by a person that has been through it.
Please check it out here: M Botox Step By Step, Blog By Emily
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This is a great picture to always keep with you. For me, I always have a copy with me. Not just a good reminder for myself, but my family too. When you start to feel you Gastroparesis symptoms getting worse (higher nausea for example) then you drop down a 'step'. Give this 'step' a good 24hrs or more. Then decide if you need to go down or up a step. Eventually this will just become second nature, to know what you body needs based on how your day(s) are going. Ever wonder why people put up picture of spoons, talk about spoons and send spoons to others with a chronic illness? Once you read this great story, you will understand why and realize how precious they are. ============================================================================================================================= Please be considerate of the copyright laws: The Spoon Theory by Christine Miserandino Full Site: http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com Read "The Spoon Theory" it here: http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/wpress/articles/written-by-christine/the-spoon-theory/#sthash.lIVZEyIN.dpuf =============================================================================================================================== Thank you so much Christine Miserandino for your story!! Original Post By MelissaGPfight.wordpress.com It’s that time of year again. Where the stores are flooded with people, trying to score that great deal. It’s cold, possibly snowing out (at least up in the North it is), there is no place to park, transit systems are full, commute time takes forever…. once you get there, forget a shopping cart down the isles, YOU can’t even get down the isles. Kids yelling. Then all of a sudden it feels like you are in a tropical climate, needing to strip down to your undies. Or maybe that is just how I feel trying to do this WAY over-rated holiday shopping crap. We are sick. Do we really want to waist our spoons on going to the mall just to take hours looking for that ‘perfect’ gift for our loved one? Then on that big day, it is unwrapped within 20 seconds, looked at and tossed to the side. Maybe it was not what he/she wanted, wrong size, wrong color, this list goes on and on — especially if you have a teenager! The last 2 holidays I found myself not wanting to go out in that hustle and bustle. A small part of me did miss all the fun going shopping with my mom. Taking a ‘break’ to have a cup of coffee and pastry. But who is kidding who? My body wants nothing to do with either of those items. All that sparkle that is built up in the holiday songs and movies looks great, but when I put my shoes on and go out in it… that is a whole different world. I would rather make my cherished memory on a day with my mother, when I am feeing good and there aren’t ten thousand people all clambering for that same ‘on sale’ item. Which honestly, didn’t I see that a few months ago for a cheaper price? Now that the scene is set, you can probably tell that I now do a lot of online shopping. So, I have experience in what I am about to tell you. There are 3 (in my experience) great web-sites to go that will donate a certain percent of your purchase to a charity that YOU choose. Here are the facts based on what has happened with me:
OKAY ON TO WHAT YOU WANTED TO KNOW…. 1) http://www.goodsearch.com/ – is my FAVORITE. They have a history area of all your purchases. They have COUPON CODES all ready for you, you choose what one you want. No hunting on the internet to find/try them. A tool bar can be installed into the browser you typically use. I did and NO virus! Whoo hoo. Simply search the internet with their search site and automatically if a store you go to will donate, on the tool bar it will show up with the percent it will donate and the coupon codes. You have to use the link within GoodSearch to actually have the donation work. This site has also expanded to dinning out. If you set up your card with them, and use it at the restaurant they have on their list, the donation will happen (provided you use the card you set up on the site). I have not tried that part yet, as there are no restaurants in my small town that does that. 2) http://givingworks.ebay.com/ — do you shop at E-BAY? If so, be sure to enter into E-bay with the “Giving Works” link, set up who you want as your charity and start shopping! If you sell on E-bay, you can have a percent of your sale go to the charity too. 3) http://smile.amazon.com/ – Amazon does the same thing as E-bay. Again you must enter into Amazon under the “Smile Amazon” site and set up your charity. As a reminder if you do not go into Amazon or E-bay via the links above, then when you buy something, your charity will not get credit. Be sure to have these as your bookmarks and not the links you normally use. Original Post By MelissaGPfight.wordpress.com
Once we are diagnosed with gastroparesis, we have to create a diet of low fat and low fiber. Eliminating high fat and high fiber allow the stomach to function a little faster than bogging it down to process those foods. Plus, making smaller meals help move the food faster. I have found that I need to stick to 1c to 1.5 cups of food. Nothing more, for my ‘meal’. Yes, I in a way, measure it out and put it on a small plate. This way I don’t grab for more food and make myself sick(er). It is hard to stop ‘eating’ when you are still hungry, but the literal pain if you don’t is worse -for me. When I started the GP Meal Plan, I cut out a lot. I was living off a muffin or oatmeal in the morning (both of which are not recommended), then soup for lunch with crackers and a little portion of what I made my family for dinner (still not a wise idea .. if it is not GP Friendly. Even in a small portion) and during the day I would have a smoothie of some sort. Can you tell what I was missing? I hope you guessed EVERYTHING! I wasn’t getting enough vitamins, minerals and protein was a big miss on my part. Every day I felt more and more crappy (pain, nausea, fatigue, light headed, dizzy, headaches, etc). I didn’t understand what was going on. I was eating low fat and low fiber with small meals. Maybe my GP was getting worse. I didn’t know. But, one day I ran across and article talking about protein and thought for a minuted of how much I may consume in a day. Hmmm, not much. Does it matter that much, really? I began to do more research and found out that lack of protein causes a lot of problems, such as:
Once I figured out that I needed more protein in my days, I began to hunt for items that I could put in my smoothies. I tried things like tofu and Greek yogurt. That was never going to be enough, so I searched for protein powders and tried: hemp, peanut butter powder, soy, whey and now my favorite egg protein powder. Following is a list of Protein Powders along with the amount of protein per serving:
For me, the tofu and peanut butter did not contain enough protein for the amount I needed to consume in a day. The Hemp and Whey could have sent me to the ER if I wasn’t smart and only tired a little amount (sever cramping, bloating, etc). I ruled out the soy powder, just because I am not that big of a believer in soy. To me, it is in too much of our food as it is. I am lucky that the Egg White Protein powder not only tastes great in a shake/smoothie, but it gives me the boost I need every day and has not make me sick! I swear by it!! In a given day we should be consuming 50 – 100 grams. Here is a link to a calculator to help you estimate. http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/library/blproteincalculators.htm Lastly, if you can eat some real food, try Protein Bars. The Balance Bar is easy to digest and can provide any where between 15 – 19 grams of protein (depending on the flavor). I keep one with me when I go out of the house. Once I start to feel light headed I eat the bar and am good to go for another hour or two! It is amazing how just this little changed has helped me. I feel so much better than before. Yes, I still have gastroparesis and am in pain every day, but I feel better than I did. Link regarding protein deficient symptoms: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/low-protein-levels.html Original Post By MelissaGPfight.wordpress.com
Is swimming safe with a feeding tube? What do I need to do to protect myself? These questions and more are addressed best by the Oley Foundation: Info on swimming with feeding tubes (click here) Be safe and have fun this summer! What Is Bloating? When your stomach (and/or intestines) becomes filled with gas and is not expelled, you will experience distention. What is “Distention”? Per MedicineNet.Com it means “The state of being distended, enlarged, swollen from internal pressure”. For me, I can easily expand 4 pant sizes due to bloating after something I ate or drank that my gastroparesis tummy did not like. What Causes Bloating / Distention?
What Foods / Drinks Should I Avoid?
Non-Prescription Remedies:
FODMAP Friendly Foods to Relieve Gas From our friends at FODMAP Life 6 FODMAP Friendly Foods to Relieve Gas. GP Community Recommends The Following: I have not tried any of these products and do not receive any personal gain from placing them on my blog. They are simply listed as suggestions for YOU to look into to help your bloating and distention issues. As always, read the manufacture label for any allergies you may have and seek doctor or pharmacist consultation to verify any product will effect your current medications.
Links:
Original Post By MelissaGPfight.wordpress.com Let me first start off by saying that the suggestions that will follow will not completely get rid of your nausea. At least, they didn’t for me. But my nausea is much less being on some of them. Also, be sure to consult your doctor before you try any home remedies or herbal supplements. There can be drug interactions and some supplements as well as no guidelines as to how much you (as your own individual case) should take. Okay, with that disclaimer out of the way lets begin! Follow in is a list of items that should help relieve/limit your nausea. Also, don’t expect the diminished nausea to happen instantly. Non-Prescription Nausea Relief Ideas:
Found at a local drug store:
LINKS:
Original Post By MelissaGPfight.wordpress.com I think most of us have been in a situation like the one pictured above, even if we don’t want to talk about it. Knowing that you have to ‘poo’ but simply can not do so. Either you run into the rest room every few minutes or you are the kind that will set up camp in there. Neither are fun, in my experience. What can we do about it? Hopefully the rest of this blog will give you the answer you are looking for! What Is Constipation?
Constipation is a common but painful condition that occurs when bowel movements become infrequent or difficult. It can be caused by nutritional deficiencies, stress, pregnancy, cancer, depression, and more. The best way to prevent constipation is eating a healthy diet, exercising, and drinking plenty of water. — WebMd.com What Are The Causes?
What Foods Cause Constipation?
Non Prescription Relief Ideas:
Foods to help you ‘go’ are all high in fiber and are not recommended if you have Gastroparesis (GP). For those of you that don’t have GP, here is the list:
Misc In my personal experience taking Omega 3-6-9 (Fish, Flax & Borage mix) lets me have consistent bowel movements. If I stop taking the supplement, then I am back to very bad constipation and bloating. Here is a link to the blog I did on the particular one I take (Click Here). Here is a blog that a friend of mine wrote and fits in here perfectly! It’s called “Poop – What the Different Colors and Smells Mean”. Click HERE to be directed to Emily’s Stomach’s blog entry. We know there more ideas out there, so feel free to add to the list by COMMENTING BELOW. Original Post By MelissaGPfight.wordpress.com My biggest issue with Gastroparesis has been hair loss. Okay, besides the: nausea, pain, bowel issues, toilet hugging and not knowing what to eat/drink. In my limited medical knowledge (mother is a retired RN) I knew that my now lack of nutrition was causing some of the hair loss. I knew (and experienced) hair loss during hormone changes. I also knew that an abrupt diet change can also trigger hair loss, not to mention stress. But months went by and I was still having large amounts of hair fall out. I was afraid to brush it and shower. There were first fulls and I would clog the drain. I was literally scared! One day I decided to take Omega 3-6-9 and within about 7 days, I was doing much better, the more I continued on the supplement, the better my hair got. I ran out and decided not to buy another bottle. Soon the hair loss started again, prompting me to run to the store for another bottle of it. Then, slowly it got better again. This is my magic pill that is what what my body seems to want. I have a prior blog on that supplement (which is also used to help with constipation), which you can find here: http://melissagpfight.wordpress.com/2013/05/17/omega-3-for-constipation/ (original posting) or click on Omega 3 in the categories to the right. What are the triggers? What can we do about it? I hope to answer that, below. Keep in mind that this is general hair loss. I am not talking about any medical condition or genetic premature balding. Below is simply targeting factors that can cause thinning.
Hair Loss Triggers
Help For Hair Loss
If you are like me, I am not getting enough of the vitamins needed to even help with hair loss through food alone. I typically only consume 1 small meal of real food a day. The rest is either soup or smoothie for my daily intake. You may want to have blood work done (if you have not already) to see where exactly your vitamin and mineral levels are. Then go from there. If you are deficient in something, look to see what foods are high in that amount or if the deficiency is really bad, you may need a supplement. Here is a great web site to match foods with vitamins: http://www.healthaliciousness.com/most-nutritious-foods-lists.php Should you need a supplement, I suggest that you look for a liquid form, as it is easier to digest. If you can’t find one, then the gel caps are fairly good. UPDATE: I am now using a shampoo with Argan Oil in it and it has helped a lot to minimize the breakage of the hair as well as keep more on my head than in the shower drain. The first one I used and loved for several years was purchased through my hairdresser and cost a small fortune (over $100 for shampoo and conditioner). I have now switched to the "One 'n Only" brand Argan Oil Moisture Repair Shampoo recommended by a fellow GPer. This works just as well as the other stuff and only cost me $20 for shampoo and conditioner (12 oz bottles) to be delivered to my door -- well, there was a coupon deal to buy 1 get one free, so keep your eye out. Links:
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